Tag Archives: Central Arizona Project

This week the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released the news that there will not be a shortage on the Colorado River in 2017. This positive declaration can be attributed to water left behind in Lake Mead by CAP and its partners. However, Reclamation’s projection shows that without additional conservation actions, 2018 could be the first year of shortage on the Colorado River.

We avoided shortage in 2016 due to our collective efforts to conserve water in Lake Mead and a fortuitous boost from Mother Nature’s precipitation--the so-called “Miracle May." However, the drought continues.

The Central Arizona Project is one of the largest water projects in the country, delivering nearly 60 percent of Arizona’s share of Colorado River water to cities, farms, industries and Native American tribes in central and southern Arizona.

In our interactions with customers, stakeholders and the general public, Central Arizona Project representatives have noted that most people think the long-term drought is the reason for the declining water levels in Lake Mead. They're only partly right.

The Kyl Center for Water Policy opened last November at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy. Since Sarah Porter was hired as director in January, she and her team have set out to resolve the long-standing issue of determining the nature, extent and relative priority of water rights in Arizona. The process is known as general stream adjudication.

The Colorado River may see a shortage as soon as next year, and the probability of one in 2017 jumps to 61 percent. If Lake Mead’s water level drops below 1,075 feet, agricultural users of Central Arizona Project water will see a big cut.